Pie Crust Recipe with Blind Baking Option

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1. 1Step 1: In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt.
2. 2Step 2: Add the butter and cut it into the mixture using a pastry blender until there are pea-size clumps of butter throughout, with some larger clumps remaining.
3. 3Step 3: Add the water 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing well between additions with a rubber spatula. You can even press the mixture together a bit with the spatula as you toss.
4. 4Step 4: Only add enough water for the mixture to hold together when you clump a portion of it with your hand.
5. 5Step 5: Pour the mixture out onto a clean surface. Flatten and press the mixture together, then fold the mixture over itself once or twice (it won't be a clean process, that's fine; it's just a quick layering for more flakiness).
6. 6Step 6: Compress the mixture into a round, then flatten to about a 6-inch disk. Compress and smooth any cracks (you don't want cracks, as they will spread larger as you roll the dough out).
7. 7Step 7: Wrap with a sheet of plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour (or up to 2 days. If it chills longer than an hour, let it rest at room temperature for about 10 minutes to soften enough to roll).
8. 8Step 8: Remove from the fridge and dust a clean work surface generously with flour. Roll the dough out to a 13-inch round, pinching any cracks along the edges together as you roll.
9. 9Step 9: Roll the dough up around a rolling pin (dust away excess flour along the edges as you roll it up) then transfer to a 9-inch pie plate. Unroll the dough over the pie plate starting about an inch beyond one edge. Carefully press the pie dough down into the pie plate to snugly fit along the inner edge.
10. 10Step 10: Leave about 1-inch excess dough around the lip (outermost edge) of the pie plate while trimming excess that's over an inch, especially where uneven.
11. 11Step 11: Fold the excess dough along the edges under itself and quickly press together. Flute the edges as desired (with your fingers or the tines of a fork).
12. 12Step 12: Drape loosely with plastic wrap to cover and transfer to the fridge. Chill at least 1 hour or up to 2 days. Use as directed in your pie recipe.
13. 13Step 13: If blind baking (such as for a cream pie or other no-bake filling), set the oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place a baking sheet in the oven to preheat.
14. 14Step 14: Crumple up a sheet of parchment paper (large enough to cover the pie), then line the parchment paper along the interior of the pie crust. Fill with pie weights or about 1 lb of dry beans. Trim away tall excess parchment paper.
15. 15Step 15: Place the crust on the baking sheet in the preheated oven and bake until the edges are golden brown and the sides of the crust are starting to dry, about 25 to 30 minutes.
16. 16Step 16: Remove the crust from the oven, then lift out the parchment paper with the beans. Pierce the crust about 10 times along the bottom with a paring knife.
17. 17Step 17: Return to the oven and bake until the crust has dried and is slightly golden brown, about 10 to 15 minutes longer. Tent the edges with a pie shield or a ring of heavy-duty aluminum foil at any point as needed to prevent excess browning while baking.
18. 18Step 18: Let the crust cool on a wire rack before filling.